Vehicle-wheel



HERBERT L. FIRESTONE, OF AKRON, OHIO.

Speciieation of Letters Patent.

'VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Application filedpseptemberl, 1917. Serial No. 191,179.

To aM inkom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HERBERT L. Fini:- s'ionn, a citizen ofthe UnitedStates, residing; at Akron, in the county oi' Summit and State of Ohio,have invented new and usefui Improvements in Vehicle-VVheels, of whichthe following is a specification.

Thisinvention has relation to improvements in the road engaging portionsoi'vehielo-Wheels. The object of the invention is to provide a vehiclewheel especially /adaptable to various road conditions said tiresimultaneously constitutin a` cushioning medium for the vehicle. 1einvention contemplates a wheel provided with a plurality of shoesarranged around the periphery of tle wheel, each shoe mounted forArocking movement, to cause them to more easily engage the roadway andadapt themselves to the varyin irregularities and inequalities thereof.lach of said slices is so provided with a tread forming block ofresilient cushion material such as vulcanized rubber. By thisarrangement each and every individual block may, if necessary, be

. removed and a new one substituted at anyI time Without interferingwith the other blocks.

. With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consistsin the novel of parts constituting the invention to hev `construction,combination and arrangement hereinafter speciiically described andillus- -tratedin the accompanying drawings which oiin a part hereofwherein is shown the preferred embodiment-etti@ invention, but ,it is tobeunderstood that changes, variations and modifications can be resortedto `which come within the scope of the matter hereinafter claimed.

` n the drawings in which similar reference numerals indicate like partsin the different figures,

' Figure l is a side elevation of a segment of a vehicle Wheel embodyingthe present invention.

Fig. 2 is a radial sectional view taken approniinately on line 2 of Fig.l.

Figf is "a perspective 'viewof a shoe Patented July 221, i919.

employed in 'connection with the wheel, and

Fig. sli's a pers'iective view of a rfragment ot the felly o a wheelembot'lyingthe present invention."

The wheel forming tliefsubjicct matter of the present inventioncomprises the usual hub 1 from which radiate spokes .2 to an annularfolly 3. The hub,sp`okcs and iimarr preferably integral and areusuallyalthough not .l

necessarily formed of metal. The outer periphery 4 of the folly 3 isprovided at regularly recurring intervals with a series of outwardlyprojectingrv transversely extending pairs of lugs 5 between the mem'-vbeis of each pairofwhich is a transverse groove6iappioxiinately'seinicircular in cross section. The outer iaces of themembers of each pair `of lugsv 5 arcinvclined' away from each other fora purpose to Ibeflater described. The felly 3 isfurthermore providedwith a lseriespof transvfersely-extending openings 7 spaced' apart andpreferably alternating in position with respect to the groove 6. Securedto the lateral faces of the folly 3 are bands 8 the outer generalexterna-l diameter of which is slightly less than the external diameterof the ifelly 3. rllhe bands y8 are siiniiarA and hence a description ofone is believed to be suiiicient for the understanding of both. Eachband is provided with a series of outwardly-extending lugs 9 the outercontour of each of which is approiiiinatelV semioircular and each ofwhich is provi ed with an opening 10. These lugs 9 are so disposed onthe band 8 that the axes of the openings 10 are approximately coincidentwith the axes of the grooves 6..

The road engaging portions of the wheel comprise a plurality of shoesand as they are all similar a description of one is believed to besuiicicnt. Each shoe comprises a plate l1 provided with some resilientbloc; holding means such as inturned or dovetailed grooves 'l2 andmounted on and secured to the outer face of each shoe is a block 13 ofresilient materi'ai-pieiieiabl y having rounded corners and secured byany means to the shoe 11. The shoe il is provided with atransversely-extending inwardly-extending rib 14 the contour of which issuch as to permit it to seat iii the groove 6 of the folly 3, and isfurthermore provided with an opening 15, which, when the rib 14 isseated in the groove 6, will register with the opposing rupted by thelugs bands8. Each block is openings 10 in the transversely-extendingthen pivoted on a bolt 16 passed through the two openings 10` shown indotted lines in Fig, 1. achv block is free to rock or oscillate on itspivotal bolt 16 so as to conform to the irregularities of the road andafford a Wide bearing surface for the wheel to increase the tractiveroperties thereof and also to prevent ski ding. f it is necessary at anytime to renew a block from wear or other causes each individual block isremoved by withdrawing the pivotal bolt 16 and a new block substitutedtherefor. v

By making the outer portions of the transverse lugs 5 at an inclinationto each other a greater ting the rocking of the shoes on their pivotalbolts 16 which otherwise might be interif the latter were not soinclined. y

I claim, A vehicle wheel embodying a felly havin a cylindrical outerface which is provide with a 'series of pairs of separatetransversely-extending outwardly-projecting ribs versely extendingopportunity is provided for permit' with a space between each pair ofribs approximat'ely semi-cylindrically formed, the spaces between -pairof seats, a plurality of resilient block shoes disposed on blocksembodying carrying an inwardly and transsemi-cylindrical rib' proribs'constituting. A

said felly, each .ofsaid vided with an opening and arranged to be 'lpositioned in one ofthe seats formed between each pair of ribson theouterface of said felly, a circumferential ring secured to each face ofsaid felly and provided with outwardly-extending provided with anaperture constituting a bearing, said rings so disposed on said fellythat the apertures in said ears are in transverse alinement with eachother and also 4in transverse "alinement with the axes of thesemi-cylindrical grooves formed in said felly and bolts extendingthrough the a ertures in said ears and the apertures in t` e ribs on theinner faces ofsaid block carrying shoes to provide means for carryingshoes to tilt radially with respect to the a'xis of said Wheel.

In testimony my hand,

HERBERT L. FIREsToNE.

ears, each of said ears.

whereof I have hereunto permitting said block

